From clinical trials to clinical practice: therapeutic cancer vaccines for the treatment of prostate cancer

Therapeutic options for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer are increasing, spurring an urgent need to better understand which treatments are best for individual patients. The recent approval of a first-in-class agent, sipuleucel-T, has intensified this need. This therapeutic cancer vaccine has demonstrated a survival advantage in two Phase Ill trials, but does not alter progression in the short term. Therefore, a new therapeutic approach for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is taking shape, based on broader understanding of available therapies. This new clinical approach seeks to maximize patient benefit from treatment, minimize associated toxicities, and may have far-reaching implications for other therapeutic cancer vaccines currently in clinical development.